Just What I Needed
by Brynn MacKenzie
Summary: When white collar meets blue collar, you can expect some animosity. But if you throw a kid and a broken car into the mix, things can get interesting. [Jatie] Formerly "Tool Timer".


**Tool Timer**

James Diamond was anything but ordinary. He was one of the best mechanics in town. His work was quality, the best, and always in demand. Because of this, he rarely had time to be anywhere else but work. He also had a bed in the back of the shop where he slept.

There was one thing about James Diamond that stuck out from everything else.

He was a single father of a four year old son.

James hadn't seen his son for almost a month, since the mother had moved out of state and took the child with her. As much as he hated this, there wasn't much he could do about it. Instead, he buried himself in his work, praying something would change soon. Nothing prepared him for the night she walked in the door.

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><p>Katie hissed and kicked her car, screaming every profanity in the book. She was on her way to a meeting when the car broke down on the side of the road. She tried the key in the ignition, but it merely made a whirring noise, but didn't move from its spot on the side of the road. She flailed her hand to try and get the dust and grime from her face. She rolled down the window and put a white bag into it so no one towed it.<p>

"You've got to be freaking kidding me. Cars don't just stop in the middle of the road!" She dug her cell phone from her pocket and took a few steps in the opposite direction, seeing lights in the distance. "At least town is close by." Kicking off her heels and dialing the number, she put her heels into her other hand, holding the phone to her ear. A husky voice came over the line, where she could hear drilling noises in the background. "Hi, this is Katherine Knight; I need to speak with James Diamond?"

The man coughed slightly and laughed. "This is he."

"Ah. I'm broke down on the side of Ivy, is there any way you could tow my car to your shop and work on it in the morning?" Katie asked, hesitating only slightly when the man coughed and yelled. _Rodney, what did I tell you about using lighter fluid in a butane torch? _Katie paused and waited. "Hello?"

"Yeah, I can help you out. I'll be there in ten. What am I looking for?" James asked, scribbling down directions.

"A two thousand four Altima." She looked away, kicking gravel with her bare foot. "Damn thing barely ever works anymore. Thanks for doing this. I'm going to go check into a hotel room; I'll be there in the morning to check the damage. The money will be in the glove box." Katie commented, hanging up before he could say anything else.

* * *

><p>Katie bit her lip and knocked on the glass door outside the office. A woman sat at the desk, her brown hair up in a messy ponytail. Her nametag read <em>Camille.<em> Katie brushed her long brunette curls behind her ear and tossed them onto her shoulder. Her brown eyes were hidden behind a pair of oversized sunglasses. Her pristine white tailored suit was pressed and body-hugging-tight. She gazed at Camille and frowned. "Hi."

Camille looked up and blinked. "Um, hi." She tapped her pen and blinked. "Can I help you?"

"Yeah, I'm here to pick up my Altima?" Katie asked, watching the people moving around in the back room where the cars were. She watched Camille again, the other girl chewing and popping bubble gum. "I'll just go back and get it."

Camille rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I don't care, really. I'm just here to make sure you pay."

"Yeah, but the sign on the door says that the owner trades work for work." She blinked several times. "What if I can't afford it?"

"Then you tell 'em what you can do, and he'll decide if he can use you." Camille leaned forward intimidating, whispering. "That's how it works. I'll call over and see if they're ready to see you."

After paging the shop, Camille looked back at Katie. "He said go over."

Katie stepped foot into the greasy shop, looking down at her once white heels that had stepped into grease. She made a coughing noise and looked at the man standing over the hood of a car. "Are you the one who towed my car last night?"

"No, Ma'am, I'm Andrew. I believe you're looking for the boss. He's busy. Can I help you?" Answered the blonde boy as he continued to tighten something on the car. "You really don't like mess, do you?" Andrew noted that Katie continuously brushed her hands off on a paper towel.

"I just need to speak with your boss. I have a very important meeting coming up, and I have to be there by tomorrow morning." Katie quietly answered, absently noting a pair of steel toed work boots from under her car on the left. "Excuse me; do you know where I can find James Diamond of Diamond Towing and Repair?"

The feet twitched once or twice, and then out slid a person. Tall and buff, dark red hair that reached just passed his ears, and dark caramel brown eyes, Katie's breath caught. "You've got him."

Katie pulled her sunglasses down to observe the man more casually. Absently she noted that he was wiping his hands off on an already dirty rag. "Is my car ready?"

"No ma'am, it's not. It's going to be longer than expected. Seems your timing belt snapped, it's only made of nylon, of course, so if it gets too hot it melts." James replied, watching the woman shift uneasily.

"Well, how much will it cost? I'll have the money. I can get you the parts." Katie frowned.

"It will cost at least one thousand and five hundred to get it replaced, and it needs to be shipped internationally. You probably won't be going anywhere anytime soon." James tossed the rag on top of the hood, moving over towards the door to the office. "I'm sure you can afford that."

Katie looked at her heels. "Actually…I can't." She looked up at him again. "But your sign says you trade work for work!" She shouted in defense, probably a lot quicker than she should have. Plus, it was a win-win situation. She really wanted to know this guy better.

"I do indeed. What can you do?" He sized her up, realizing she probably wasn't going to help around the shop. He sighed and looked away. "I don't know if I can use you."

"Wait! I can do anything a guy can do. You want me to move something, I can do it. Don't turn me down so quickly. Please?" Katie took a step forward, following him into the office where Camille no longer sat. "I'm good at office work. Your secretary is quite rude. Maybe I can get you more business? Need advertising, I can do it. I own an advertising company."

"So why can't you pay?" James inquired, shuffling through some papers on the desk with his left hand. "Seems like someone who owns a company should be able to pay."

"Our stocks are frozen for the next month; we're in the middle of a takeover." Katie looked away, sighing softly.

The door opened again and a little redheaded boy came running in, arms outstretched. "Daddy!"

James smiled vibrantly and picked up the boy in his arms, still shuffling through the papers. "Hey kid, how was school today?"

"I got an A on my spelling test." The boy shouted enthusiastically.

"Amazing. Want to help me out kiddo?" James set the boy down and smiled when he nodded enthusiastically. "Go find my product guide. It's gonna have a set of numbers, 2000 and 2005. It'll have a red cover and say _Nissan _on the front." The boy ran off and he went back to nonchalantly going through papers for Katie's receipt.

"Wasn't that a difficult task? He's only three." Katie inquired, curiously watching the man.

"Do you doubt him?" James asked, finding the receipt and placing it in front of her. "Sign here, Miss Knight."

It was then that Katie noticed that he wore a tarnished silver wedding band on his left hand. She realized this man was probably married and should back off. She signed the paper and looked over at the boy running through the door again. In his hands was a book, exactly the one that James had asked for. She blinked several times as James reached over and took the book from the child. "How did he…?"

"Good job, Jake. Now I see how you got an A on your spelling test." He ruffled the boy's hair and turned back to Katie. "You want to work off your debt?"

"If…you don't mind." Katie blinked. "What do you want me to do?"

"Clean the shop. Keep it spotless. I'll tell you where to go from there. Start tomorrow." James turned around and swept Jake into a bear hug. "And how about my favorite little boy and I go get some chowder for dinner in celebration of your good grade?"

Jake giggled and kicked his feet, tugging on James' hair. "Daddy!" Jake turned and noticed the woman in the doorway. "Who is she? She's pretty."

James put Jake on his shoulders and turned to Katie. "Well, I think, this is our new housekeeper. She'll make sure your room is clean for you."

That's when Katie put two and two together. This man lived in the shop. There were two back rooms, most likely where they slept. One was a blue former nursery; the other was a dark brown room with a bed and nothing else. How could he get custody of a child if he lived in his work? She frowned and looked at the boy again. That was no life for a child.

"What are you waiting for?" James asked, glaring at Katie. "Get out so I can work on your car. Be here tomorrow at noon, no later. If you come later, I hike the price up."

Katie nodded vigorously. "Got it!"

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><p>Based on the song "Tool Timer" by Colt Ford. My favorite song right now lol Read and review.<p>

Also, this chapter is really short, but the next one is long, I promise =)


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